The Royal College of Music’s Brass Faculty is an active and supportive community. Every student is provided with the means to recognise their full ability as a performing musician. You will receive a challenging and carefully structured bespoke programme of study and performance, with particular emphasis on identifying and unlocking your individual potential.

Additionally, promising undergraduates and postgraduates can choose conducting as a second study specialism. Our students can also explore natural horn, natural trumpet, bass trumpet, jazz trumpet, jazz trombone, euphonium, and sackbut as a second or related study.

In addition to one-to-one lessons, our students enjoy regular performance and ensemble classes, masterclasses, chamber coaching and orchestral playing with distinguished international musicians, who have included our Prince Consort Professor, Håkan Hardenberger, as well as trumpet virtuoso Gustav Melander, Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn Stefan Dohr, and tuba legend Jens Björn-Larsen.

Performance opportunities

RCM students enjoy an extensive variety of performance opportunities as part of the College’s diverse events calendar, which include hundreds of events each year. It is also possible for RCM musicians to form their own chamber groups in which they can pursue an additional body of repertoire.

All brass students have the chance to play in our orchestras, which include the RCM Philharmonic, the RCM Symphony Orchestra and the RCM Opera Orchestra. Students often have the opportunity to work with some of the greatest conductors in the world. Recent visitors have included Joana Carneiro, Sakari Oramo, Martyn Brabbins, Jonathon Heyward, Vasily Petrenko, Rafael Payare and Sir Antonio Pappano.

Sit-in schemes

RCM brass players have joined the Philharmonia, English National Opera Orchestra and BBC Symphony Orchestra for BBC Proms rehearsals as part of the sit-in scheme for postgraduate students on the Masters programme, which provides students with first-hand professional experience and a vital link between the conservatoire and the profession. Each participating student is assigned a mentor from the orchestra and sits alongside them in rehearsals throughout the year.

In addition to the Proms scheme, other sit-in opportunities have included working alongside the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia, and the English National Opera Orchestra.

Jazz at the RCM

Jazz trumpet, natural horn, natural trumpet and jazz trombone are available as second or related study options to promising students. Brass players also have the opportunity to join the RCM Swing Band and Jazz Orchestra, including performing at our annual Festival of Percussion, and at prestigious venues such as Ronnie Scott’s and the Southbank Centre.